SB 661: Student Athlete Bill of Rights.

Existing law establishes a system of postsecondary education in this state, including the University of California, the California State University, private postsecondary educational institutions, and independent institutions of higher education, as 4 segments of that system. Existing law, known as the Student Athlete Bill of Rights, provides for certain benefits for student athletes, including the protection of athletic scholarships, and exempts an institution that maintains an intercollegiate athletic program and receives, as an average, less than $10,000,000 in annual income derived from media rights for intercollegiate athletics from being subject to these requirements. Existing law requires an institution that is required to grant these benefits to student athletes to rely exclusively on revenue derived from media rights for intercollegiate athletics to defray any costs accrued from granting these benefits to student athletes.

This bill would also grant these benefits to student athletes who attend institutions that receive, as an average, less than $10,000,000 in annual income derived from media rights for intercollegiate athletics and participate in intercollegiate athletic programs whose teams do not compete in Division III of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The bill would remove the requirement on institutions to rely exclusively on revenue derived from media rights for intercollegiate athletics to defray any costs accrued from affording these benefits to student athletes.